Frequently Asked Questions

Unfortunately, there is no general correct answer to this question. After all, so many factors play a role in every sale and the circumstances are different every time. However, it is possible to determine the best time to sell your house, depending on the market at that particular moment.

But a much more important question is: "What moment is the best moment for you to sell?" So not necessarily for "the market. What impact does selling the house have on your life and what are the consequences if you sell? Are you looking for something new and want to move? To a house with a better location, a farmhouse in the country, a penthouse in the city? There is a story involved and it is as important as the situation on the housing market. A good real estate agent can work with any conditions on the market and get your house sold.

Finally, there is something to be said about the season. In general, spring is the best time to put a house or apartment up for sale, followed by September and October.

Legally speaking, you have to provide certain information when you advertise a property for sale: the EPC certificate, the urban development purpose, whether or not there are any permits for urban development activities, whether or not there has been a writ of summons or a court order concerning the property, whether or not there is a right of first refusal, whether or not a subdivision permit applies, whether or not there is any soil pollution, and whether or not the property is located in a flood zone.

In addition, it is also important that you inform a prospective buyer about serious defects in the property that he cannot simply see on a visit. The fact that there was a leak once because of a problem with the roof, which has since been fixed, is not important. But if you know that there is, for example, house fungus, and you don't report it or you camouflage it, you are making a big mistake.

Our principle is: let us know everything you would like to know yourself as a buyer. Not to the smallest detail, but everything that you think could be important. Then the buyers immediately feel good in their new home and they will not have any unpleasant surprises.

No. In some cases, it does make sense for an owner to also be present during a visit, but only on a second visit with prospective buyers, for example, who might have specific questions.

Often it is better to let the broker do his job and take the buyers through the property in his pre-prepared way. A real estate agent will always show a property in a different way than the owner himself. A way that is pre-conceived and thought out to deliver the most engaging experience possible to the prospective buyers.

The buyer pays the costs resulting from a sale; the seller pays the delivery costs. What are the delivery costs? For example, the mandatory certificates such as the EPC certificate and the soil certificate, and other costs such as the broker's fees. Please note that in certain cases, as a seller, you may be taxed on the capital gains made on the sale.

Yes. A sale is said to be concluded as soon as an agreement has been reached on a property (the premises) and a price. How this agreement is reached has, in principle, no impact on its legal validity. However, because there are many issues involved in the sale of real estate, such as deadline and possible advance payment, it is desirable to have an offer made in a more official manner.

Buying a home is not a simple process. There are several stages and each of these stages can have an impact on how the sale goes. You can sometimes get lucky and find your dream home right away on your first visit. But usually it takes several months and many visits before you find your ideal home.

When can you move? As soon as you have made an offer and this is accepted by the seller, the sales agreement or compromise must be drawn up. This can usually be done within a few weeks, if all the necessary certificates and documents are available. Once the sales agreement is signed (at the notary's office or at the estate agent's), it is time to wait for the authentic deed.

There is no mandatory time limit, but in general the maximum time between the sales agreement and the authentic deed is four months. It can also go faster, for example within a month, but that is rather exceptional. This is because the notary has to request various documents and certificates, and it must of course be possible to fit them into the diaries of all the parties concerned.

Il n'y a pas de règle fixe en la matière. Si la première propriété que vous visitez s'avère être la maison de vos rêves, alors foncez !

La réalité nous apprend qu'il est important d'acquérir de l'expérience sur le marché et sur toutes les options possibles dans le cadre de votre budget. Vous pouvez le faire en effectuant de nombreuses recherches en ligne, mais surtout en vous rendant sur place. Vous apprenez à connaître de nombreuses propriétés, mais aussi de nombreux agents immobiliers et vendeurs.

 Chaque visite vous permet d'en savoir plus sur l'offre actuelle sur le marché, sur le rapport qualité/prix des biens que vous recherchez dans un segment particulier et sur la force de la demande de biens dans le segment que vous recherchez. Gardez également un œil sur la vitesse de vente des propriétés que vous avez visitées.

In other words, apart from the asking price of a property, how much should you add to arrive at the total purchase cost?

As a buyer, on top of the purchase price, you also have to pay the purchase taxes, called registration fees. These depend on the region (Flanders, Brussels, or Wallonia), and, depending on your situation, you may benefit from lower rates and a possible discount (abatement). In addition, the buyer also pays the notary's fees (the legal fee for the deed + filing costs). 

If you take out a loan, there are additional costs, namely the cost of the mortgage loan opening. For this deed, the notary also charges a fee and administration costs. Registration duties are also payable, calculated on the amount of the mortgage deed. The bank also charges an administration fee. Finally, take into account the cost of compulsory outstanding balance insurance for the loan.

This is a regional matter. The rules for Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia are different.

In Flanders, the rental deposit may be up to 3 months of rent. In Brussels it is up to 2 months, if the deposit is paid into an individualized account in the name of the tenant. If it is a bank guarantee, this may be up to 3 months' rent. For the time being, the same rules apply for Wallonia as for Brussels.

If you rent a house or apartment, you must of course think about insurance. Fire insurance, which is the insurance that intervenes in the event of damage to the building, is always taken out by the owner.

If it concerns an apartment, the "building" will be insured by a fire insurance policy or block policy in the name of the VME and managed by the trustee. As a tenant, you must always insure your liability as a tenant. This is done by means of a so-called tenants liability insurance. 

You can also take out contents insurance, with or without coverage for theft, and legal assistance insurance.

As a landlord, you may refuse prospective tenants if there is a valid, objective and, above all, non-discriminatory reason for doing so. You may refuse tenants because their income is not sufficient in relation to the requested rent or because the property is not large enough for the family composition of the candidate tenant. Be especially aware that you may never refuse people because of their origin, color, race, gender or sexual orientation. Also be aware, if you are working with a real estate agent, you may not give him an "order to discriminate. The real estate agent will refuse to do so.